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He stuck chip after chip close to the pin, displaying a surgeon's touch around the green.

Crossin won the contest, besting a roster that includes defending District 2 champion Mariano Medico and Chase Makowski, the Redeemer co-captains who are heading to Monmouth University next year.

"He's got a fabulous short game," Brunn Jr. said. "His short game, from the short time I've worked with him, is as good as anybody on our team or as good as anybody I've ever seen in high school. And I don't say that lightly. I try not to throw too many compliments around, but I tell you what, he just has a fabulous touch."

Crossin transferred to Holy Redeemer after three years at Wyoming Valley West. His parents tried to convince him to transfer earlier, but he had friends and a solid golf program to fall back on.

That changed after the fall of his junior year. Most of his friends were graduating the following spring, and Crossin knew many of the Redeemer players (including second cousin Ryan Crossin) from the junior circuit and practice rounds at Fox Hill Country Club.

"I felt better academically at Redeemer, and I felt like I had more friends at Redeemer because most of my friends (at Valley West) graduated," Crossin said. "I had the golf team here, a great golf team, and I'm just happy to be a part of it."

Added Brunn Jr.: "When he came to practices during the summer, I was pleasantly surprised at how skilled of a golfer he is."

Throwing Crossin into the pot gave Brunn Jr. an embarrassment of riches. The Royals were the PIAA Class AA runners-up last year, falling in a sudden death playoff to Wyomissing. They lost one starter from that team (Matt Slavoski) and have a slew of junior varsity golfers with the ability to start on any other District 2 team.

"After he saw us make a state run, I tried to convince him (to transfer) because we lost one kid, so I figured he could replace him," Ryan Crossin said. "Before he even decided he was coming here, we were pretty confident anyway. We all got better over the summer."

Crossin's adjustment period did not last long. He knew Makowski and Medico from Fox Hill, where are all three of their parents are members. Over the summer, he headed to Fox Hill every day, either to play with his cousin or hit the practice area for fine-tuning. He also practiced smarter. After a poor round of putting, he'd spend an hour or two on the putting green rather than launching balls on the driving range.

As always, Crossin continued to chip. Years ago, at his family's house in Kingston, he set up a modest chipping area in the backyard. It's nothing fancy, just a small patch of grass near his mother's garden, but it is where he honed his short game.

"It's my place to get away from everything and work on some golf," he said.

Crossin came to Redeemer set on proving that last year's disappointment - he failed to qualify for the district championships for the first time - was an aberration. At the preseason Tryba Tournament at Fox Hill on Aug. 26, Crossin finished second with a 2-over-73, two strokes behind Medico.

It was his coming-out party, a validation of his single-minded summer.

"I've been working really hard, and I was looking for a score like that," Crossin said. "I wanted to prove myself, and I came out and shot a great score. It really boosted my confidence."

Since joining the Royals, Crossin has adopted "keep the standard" as his mantra. It is a reminder that his spot among Redeemer's top five is never safe.

Nearly a year after that gut-wrenching loss to Wyomissing, Crossin hopes to be the missing piece.

So far, he has fit in just fine.

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